So for the last time, welcome to a chapter of No Mercy. 52 months after I first uploaded, we've come to the end…
I realise I messed up earlier in the story and put basically every Lannister Lord in the 'Hall of Heroes' so I'm having to stick with that here. My version of that particular crypt is that it used to be for all the Kings and Lords of the Rock with statues for everyone, and then those others that did something with distinction such as Tyland Lannister during the Dance of the Dragons (who we will meet on House of the Dragon) but then Loren decided that it needed to mean something more after burning all of the bodies inside the crypts, so only those who did something 'hero' worthy now gets a statue.
Guest reviews from last chapter are going at the top this time, account reviews that required a response have received PM's. I've also placed the family trees for all the Lord Paramounts at the beginning of this chapter so that you have an idea of who some of the new people in this chapter are. Apologies for the formatting, but FFN doesn't like bullet points.
I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope you've enjoyed this story. I have my final thoughts in my outro so for now I'll let you read the last instalment! I own nothing that is recognisable from the books or the show. Those assets belong to George R R Martin and HBO.
Guest Reviews from Chapter 59:
wildk: Completing stories always leave me a bit emotional but thank you for being such a dedicated reader! There won't be any sequels to this story though, I will be turning my focus onto other stories.
TheOne: She's the least trusted of the regents, but she's a survivor above all else, she turned her cloak at the end of the battle in Chapter 47.
GREAT HOUSES OF WESTEROS – 328 AC
HOUSE TARGARYEN OF KING'S LANDING/DRAGONSTONE
Aerys II (244 AC – 283 AC) / Rhaella (245 AC – 284 AC)
- - - - - Rhaegar (259 AC – 283 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Rhaenys (280 AC – 283 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Aegon (282 AC – 283 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Prince Jon Snow/Aegon (284 AC – present) / Margaery Tyrell (284 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Prince Aemon (310 AC – present) /BETROTHED/ Daena Velaryon (310 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Prince Jaehaerys (327 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Princess Laena (312 AC – present) / Lord Davos Baratheon (310 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Prince Daeron (315 AC – present) /BETROTHED/ Renfri Tyrell (317 AC – present)
- - - - - Viserys (276 AC – 300 AC)
- - - - - Queen Daenerys I (284 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Rhaego (300 AC – 300 AC)
HOUSE LANNISTER OF CASTERLY ROCK
Tywin (242 AC – 303 AC) / Joanna Lannister (245 AC – 273 AC)
- - - - - Tyland (263 AC – 304 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Lord Loren (285 AC – present) / Lady Cerenna (286 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jeyne (304 AC – present) / Petyr Payne (306 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jason Payne (325 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jaime Jr (307 AC – present) / Celia Turnberry (307 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Damon (328 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lambert (310 AC – present) /BETROTHED/ Kathryn Jast (312 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Cerion (312 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Myrcella (316 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Lord Arthur/Artos (304 AC – present)
- - - - - Cersei (266 AC – 307 AC) / King Robert I Baratheon (262 AC – 300 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - King Joffrey I Baratheon (286 AC – 303 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Queen Myrcella I Baratheon (290 AC – 307 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - King Tommen I Baratheon (291 AC – 305 AC)
- - - - - Jaime (266 AC – 307 AC)
- - - - - Tyrion (273 AC – 328 AC) / Lady Shireen Baratheon (290 AC – 324 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Lord Davos Baratheon (310 AC – present) / Princess Laena Targaryen (312 AC – present)
HOUSE STARK OF WINTERFELL
Eddard (263 AC – 300 AC) / Catelyn Tully (265 AC – 300 AC)
- - - - - Robb (283 AC – 300 AC)
- - - - - Sansa (286 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Lord Artos (304 AC – present) / Lady Marissa Bolton (305 AC – present)
- - - - - Arya (289 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Alysanne (304 AC – present) / Lord Gawen Glover (296 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Galbert Glover (324 AC – present)
- - - - - Bran (290 AC – present)
- - - - - Lord Rickon (295 AC – present) / Wylla Manderly (285 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Rodrik (318 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Catelyn (322 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Edrick (324 AC – present)
HOUSE BARATHEON OF STORM'S END
Stannis (264 AC – 301 AC) / Selyse (269 AC – 304 AC)
- - - - - Shireen (290 AC – 324 AC) / Tyrion Lannister (273 AC – 328 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Lord Davos (310 AC – present) / Princess Laena Targaryen (312 AC – present)
HOUSE TYRELL OF HIGHGARDEN
Luthor (225 AC – 269 AC) / Olenna Redwyne (228 AC – 313 AC)
- - - - - Mace (256 AC – 305 AC) / Alerie Hightower (257 AC – 288 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Lord Loras Tyrell (283 AC – present) / Lady Allyria Dayne (279 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Renfri Tyrell (317 AC – present) /BETROTHED/Daeron Targaryen (315 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Margaery Tyrell (284 AC – present) – Prince Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen (284 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Prince Aemon Targaryen (310 AC – present) /BETROTHED/ Daena Velaryon (310 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Prince Laena Targaryen (312 AC – present) / Lord Davos Baratheon (310 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Prince Daeron Targaryen (315 AC – present) /BETROTHED/ Renfri Tyrell (317 AC – present)
- - - - - Mina (262 AC – present) / Paxter Redwyne (260 AC – 325 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Lord Horas (282 AC – present) / Amelia Hightower (287 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ryam (309 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Hobber (282 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Desmera (283 AC – present) / Daven Lannister (273 AC – 307 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Davina Lannister (307 AC – present)
Janna (265 AC – 316 AC) / Jon Fossoway (264 AC – 307 AC)
HOUSE FREY OF HARRENHAL
Lord Olyvar Frey (281 AC – present) / Lady Kathryn Payne (287 AC – 319 AC)
- - - - - Rosalind (309 AC – present)
- - - - - Sabitha (312 AC – present)
- - - - - Beth (316 AC – present)
- - - - - Rhea (319 AC – present)
HOUSE ARRYN OF THE EYRIE
Lord Jon Arryn (219 AC – 300 AC) / Lady Lysa Tully (267 AC – 318 AC)
- - - - - Lord Robin (292 AC – present) / Lady Perra Royce (296 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Jasper (326 AC – present)
HOUSE MARTELL OF SUNSPEAR
Prince Oberyn Martell (258 AC – 304 AC)
- - - - - Obara Sand (272 AC – 305 AC)
- - - - - Nymeria Sand (275 AC – 304 AC)
- - - - - Lady Tyene Martell (276 AC – present) / Lord Edric Dayne (287 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Ashara (310 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Oberyn (310 AC – 327 AC)
- - - - - - - - - - Aliandra (313 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Qyle (317 AC – present)
- - - - - - - - - - Meria (325 AC – present)
HOUSE GREYJOY OF PYKE
Lady Yara Greyjoy (276 AC – present) / Qarl 'the Maid' (279 AC – present)
- - - - - Dagon (312 AC – present)
- - - - - Alyce (315 AC – present)
328 AC
It had been twenty years since Loren had returned from King's Landing at the end of what had been committed to history as the War of the Three Queens. And as he stood up in his solar at the peak of Casterly Rock looking out over the Sunset Sea as the colours began to turn orange, the Lannister Lord was reflecting on his time ruling the West.
It had been twenty years of regrowth. The wars of his youth had left a lot of dead Westerlanders, and the regrowth had been slow but thankfully over time the children grew up and the isolation of the West had allowed it to prosper once again. "A peaceful land, a quiet people." He whispered to himself, not remembering who he had heard it from years ago.
"Are you echoing a Bolton?" His wife laughed from a chair in the corner as she sewed a surcoat for one of their sons. Loren turned towards her aghast, but then he remembered one of his uncles telling him those words after they had spoken with Lord Roose Bolton a long time back, and Loren went to retch.
"Never tell anybody I said that." Loren said warningly as he made his way over towards Cerenna, the woman that had been at his side through so much and had now given him 5 children to dote on. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "We should go down, it will be time for supper soon."
Cerenna nodded. "Give me a moment, Cerion wanted this finishing for tomorrow." Loren nodded, tidying up his desk a minute before he noticed Cerenna put her things down and wrap the surcoat over her arm, her other arm snaking around his as they descended the castle together towards the upper dining rooms.
All of his children were already inside waiting for their meal barring his eldest, Jeyne, who had been the unfortunate Lannister that had mended the broken betrothal between Casterly Rock and Payne Hall so long ago with her marriage with the heir to Lord Damian Payne, Ser Petyr. 6 years had passed since that wedding and Loren's first Grandchild was already 3 years of age and all the reports from Loren's bannerman was suggesting that the young Jason Payne was causing the nursemaids of Payne Hall all sorts of troubles.
Loren began to look around from the doorway at the children that were still under his watch at the Rock. Little Myrcella, his and Cerenna's youngest, was running around laughing as the now 16-year-old and knighted Cerion chased her. Their middle child, Lambert, was sitting there laughing his head off. "Give it back!" Cerion exclaimed, and Loren saw that his daughter had a letter in her hands. Cerion noticed them both first however and stopped, standing upright. "Mother, Father." That stopped the misbehaving, and at the same time Myrcella stopped her running while Lambert stood upright. Loren stood in the doorway for a moment longer with a quiet stare at all of them before he held his hand out to Myrcella. "No don't!" Cerion cried, but Myrcella walked over solemnly and handed it over.
Loren read the letter and he could see that it was supposed to be a private one to Queen Daenerys asking to be made a Queensguard. Thanking the Warrior that Cerion was a better swordsman than a wordsmith, he folded up the letter quickly and walked over to Cerion, handing the parchment back to him. "Maybe it's time we get you a lock for your study." Loren said to his youngest son. "We'll talk about this properly later, Cerion. I'll help you make your case to the Queen."
"Thank you Father." Cerion bowed, quickly putting it away inside his shirt and rushing to his seat gingerly.
"Myrcella." Loren then called, and the 12-year-old gingerly walked over to him.
"Yes papa?" She asked sweetly, giving him puppy dog eyes as she stopped in front of him.
Loren smirked at the attempt to butter him up. "You're to stay an extra two hours with Septa Marilla tomorrow."
"What?" The 12-year-old cried, outraged, before she saw the glare on Loren's face at the insolence and sheepishly dipped her head. "Sorry Father."
"Now sit down, please." Cerenna stated, handing Cerion his surcoat and gesturing to their seats.
Loren also started moving, but he stopped by Lambert and leant in. "Next time, stop them, don't encourage her."
Lambert just shrugged. "It was funny."
Taking his seat, Loren noticed his wife gesture to the servants to begin serving. "Where are Jaime and Celia?" He asked after his son and heir and his gooddaughter of 3 years, his dearly missed friend Lambert Turnberry's daughter. They too had given Loren a grandson a few months earlier.
"Celia said that Damon had a bit of a temperature so she would keep him with the nursemaids for now." Cerion explained. "I don't know where Jaime is though…"
"Here! Sorry!" Loren's eldest son, the heir to the Rock said, unusually frantic as he walked inside briskly. "I was giving my letter to go to Jeyne at Payne Hall to old Creylen on my way here when he gave me this." He had a letter in his hands. "For you, Father."
Loren took the raven message and broke the seal, unravelling it as the servants began to dish out the food. Reading the words however and all the good mood that was inside him fled within an instant.
"What is it?" Cerenna asked, concerned.
Loren waited until the last dish had been placed on the table. "Leave us please." He ordered the servants, and after a moment it was only Lannisters inside the room. "There is grave news from King's Landing. The Hand of the Queen is dead."
Silence reigned over the room. "Uncle Tyrion?" Myrcella asked, her lower lip beginning to wobble. They had only met Loren's dwarf uncle a handful of times whenever the Hand of the Queen had made the journey over the Gold Road, but every single one of his children had loved him.
"That's shit news." Lambert muttered.
"Language!" Cerenna called out, but her eyes were tearing up. "When is the funeral?" She asked Loren.
Loren scanned the letter again. "Three weeks." He told them all. He sighed and placed the letter down, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jaime, I need you to take charge here while we are gone."
Jaime was a bit put out about not being invited to go, but he nodded all the same. "As you say Father."
"The rest of you will come with me to King's Landing." Loren told them, and he immediately noticed their excitement at going to the Red Keep for the first time. "And I want you on your best behaviour, Lannisters aren't well loved in the East." He was especially looking at Lambert and Myrcella. "No tricks, no tantrums, no sneaking off with a serving girl." That last one was aimed at Lambert. "We will show the rest of the realm who the Lannisters really are, you hear me?"
"Yes, Father." The three youngest all said in unison.
Loren nodded. "Good." He raised his goblet of wine and gestured for everyone to do the same. "To Uncle Tyrion, the like of which we may never see again."
"To Uncle Tyrion." The group of Lannisters called solemnly, and they all raised their goblets and took a deep drink. The meal was continued in silence after that, as all Loren could think about was the thought of travelling back to King's Landing after twenty years away from the snake pit.
The bells of the Sept of the Father were doing Davos Baratheon's head in. The young Lord of Storm's End was stood on the gallery of the Throne Room looking down as the Silent Sisters performed their rituals over his Father, Tyrion Lannister. He had been Hand of the Queen for over 20 years, but finally the Lannister dwarf had breathed his last after 55 years of life, joining Davos' mother in the Father's golden halls with any luck.
He heard footsteps walking towards him and the Baratheon groaned internally, wanting to be left alone, though as he turned his head he saw his wife Princess Laena of the House Targaryen Dragonstone branch, walking towards him, a green and gold dress hugging her form tightly as she still wore her old house colours. She came to a stop and leant on the stone railings, watching the Silent Sisters with her amethyst eyes. "I thought I'd find you here." Laena said softly.
"Someone should keep vigil." Davos stated gruffly.
"My royal Aunt has the old Hound watching him." Laena explained, nodding over to the large doors. Davos followed and spotted the Queensguard knight, his face half scarred with burns poking out of his helmet along with greying hair. He then felt his wife's hand on his. "Are you ok, Davos?"
She was the only one that could get him to be honest, so he shook his head. "I'm an orphan now, Laena, the lone Baratheon in this world." He sighed.
Laena just gripped his hand tighter, turning him to face her. He was around a foot taller than the beautiful platinum haired Targaryen, but somehow her presence made him feel on an equal level. "My family were once dying too, Aunt Dany thought she was the lone Targaryen in the world, yet here we are, Father has three children, Aemon now has little Jae." She put her arms around his neck to pull him in for a kiss before breaking apart and saying. "And it won't take long for us to start filling Storm's End with a few black-haired Baratheon's."
A loud clearing of the throat made the young, wedded couple split apart as more footsteps came closer, and Davos felt his cheeks go red as Laena's Father, Prince Aegon of Dragonstone, walked in with Queen Daenerys and Lord Commander Brienne. "There's a time and a place for that, Lord Davos. Standing above your Father isn't my idea of that place."
"Sorry, Lord Hand." Davos bowed his head to the newly appointed replacement of his Father, the silver pin the only light colour on his clothing.
"Let them mourn, Jon." Queen Daenerys teased her heir. Her Grace then walked up to him and took his hand. "If there is anything you need, then let me know."
Davos bowed his head again. "Your Grace is very kind."
Daenerys smirked, still beautiful even as she eared her 45th year. "So formal, as if I haven't known you from when you were a babe."
"Lord Tyrion will be missed." Prince Aegon stated, noticing the blush that Davos could feel forming on his cheeks and diverting the topic. "Have the funeral arrangements been made yet?"
Davos nodded. "We received word that Lord Lannister has crossed into the Crownlands this morning. When he gets here, then we shall burn the body. Father's ashes are to be spread on the Street of Silk." He shook his head amusedly. "He said that was where he was happiest."
Lord Commander Brienne looked outraged, but the Queen just snorted a very unregal laugh out loud. "That's very Tyrion." Daenerys muttered.
"Aunt Dany! Aunt Dany!" A younger, feminine voice sounded from the other doorway behind them, and Davos turned and closed his eyes in annoyance as the young Alyce Greyjoy ran through towards them. "She's back! Mother's back!"
It was an unspoken secret within the Red Keep that despite Lady Greyjoy's marriage to one of her crewmates and her two children with him, she shared a bed with the Queen more often than her husband. The Mistress of Ships had been away for two months putting down some brazen pirates in the Stepstones. Davos didn't want to think about the Ironborn woman, and so he just turned back to look at his Father's body, now being covered with the stone eyes, trying to ignore the boisterous Ironborn girl's excitable exclamations. "My apologies, Lord Baratheon. I should welcome Lady Greyjoy" The Queen announced formally. "I will come and see you soon."
"Your Grace." Davos tipped his head towards her, but his attention was back on his Father as the footsteps of the Queen and the Queensguard disappeared along with the loud, high pitched shrill of the Greyjoy child.
"It's been a long time since Loren Lannister has been to King's Landing." Prince Aegon muttered, joining Davos and Laena in leaning on the balcony. "Not since the taking of the Red Keep."
Davos didn't need to be watching to know that Laena's face had just lit up in excitement. "Can you tell us the story Father? Of how you beat the Mad Queen?"
There was a pause. "If Lord Davos wishes to hear it. Lord Tyrion was instrumental in the victory after all."
Davos had heard the stories thousands of times, but he smiled at the thought of his little parent being a hero, so he nodded. "Please, Lord Hand." He agreed, turning to face the Prince of Dragonstone.
Lord Aegon smiled and started the tale. "The wildfire had just decimated the city, and we were all meeting to decide what to do when Lord Tyrion explained that he knew of a secret tunnel…"
It had been as fast a ride from Casterly Rock as the Lannister party could manage, but even as tired as he was and in need of a proper bed to sleep in Loren hated the sight of King's Landing. The Red Keep stuck out like a sore thumb on Aegon's High Hill, and the shivers that he got riding underneath the Lions Gate worried him.
His children, however, were absolutely loving it. As he looked back to the small carriage that Cerenna and Myrcella were riding in all he could see was his daughter's head poking out of the window taking in all the sights of the city. Both Lambert and Cerion were also wide eyed and keeping their heads rotating as they looked at everything around them. Loren smiled at their enthusiasm, but in the corner of his eye he saw window shutters slam shut and older men and women pulling their children close, a reminder of the fear these people have for his House.
Thankfully, the journey seemed to go quickly. They rode towards the centre of the city, once famous for the Alchemists Guild but was now an open and spacious square with a road off it up Visenya's Hill and the Sept of the Father, the new great Sept of Westeros. It was a monstrously sized building with seven extravagant towers that reminded him of the old Sept of Baelor but grander.
From there it was a direct road up to the Red Keep, and the attention of his children went from awe of the buildings to awe of the skies. Looking up, Loren saw what they were looking at as two extremely large dragons were almost dancing in the skies with three smaller ones.
"Wow…" Lambert whispered.
"They're more impressive up close." Loren admitted. "Come on, we're almost there." He spurred his horse on a little quicker as they neared the Red Keep, and as they passed through the barbican and saw a large, gathered procession, he halted his party. Dismounting, Loren quickly went to open the carriage door and lift his daughter down before leading his family over towards the Queen, and he fell to one knee before her. "My Queen, Casterly Rock is yours."
"Rise, My Lords, My Ladies." Daenerys spoke calmly. Loren did so and noticed her smile before looking around at who was there. He spotted Jon Snow immediately surrounded by two silver haired children, a boy on his right and a girl on his left, who was sandwiched in between her Father and a Baratheon, Loren's cousin Lord Davos. He also spotted Yara Greyjoy, her Ironborn husband and two scowling children. "Welcome to King's Landing, it has been such a long time."
Loren nodded. "The city looks well, Your Grace. My money looks to have been wisely spent." He commented, causing a few chuckles and laughs.
"It was." Daenerys smirked, before gesturing inside. "Come, Lord Davos will escort your family to their rooms. Lord Loren, could I trouble you in the Throne Room for a moment?"
Loren nodded. "As you wish." He bowed his head, before turning to his family who were all looking their best and on good behaviour. "Follow Lord Baratheon, I shall see you later." He kissed Cerenna on the cheek before following Daenerys, Brienne and an aging Grey Worm, still in the Queensguard white instead of the black that Loren remembered.
The Throne Room had changed. The dragon skulls had been hooked up on the walls and Loren could easily recognise Viserion as well as the obvious in Balerion and Vhagar. The Queenguard knights stopped at the door but the Queen continued before stopping before the steps up to the Iron Throne. Loren stopped next to her, looking up at the seat. "Twenty years." Daenerys remarked. "I know you wished for this exile, but even then you could have come back sooner."
"This place holds dark memories for me, Your Grace." Loren admitted. "Coming through the gates I could hear the screams of the burning almost as vividly as the day we took the city. I look around the Red Keep and despite seeing Targaryen banners everywhere, I still see my cousin Myrcella running around, I look here to the Iron Throne and I see Tommen, his wrists opened and stained with blood." He sighed. "Dark memories. The Rock is my home, this city is a graveyard."
Daenerys obviously didn't agree with that assessment, but Loren appreciated how she kept her tongue. "Tyrion always came back from his visits to the Westerlands with an optimism I never quite understood, mayhaps I shall visit you in the future."
Loren bowed his head. "You are always welcome, Your Grace."
"Though I should probably leave Yara and the children behind." Dany smirked. "Time can't heal all wounds."
"Certainly not." Loren chuckled. "I did have something to ask you however, about one of my children."
"Go on." Daenerys said.
"Cerion, my youngest son." Loren explained, pulling out a letter that the pair of them had worked on together.
Daenerys nodded. "I have heard of him, some say his skills with the blade rival even your own."
"I wouldn't go that far." Loren smirked boastfully. "But he is excellent, and despite his brothers being married or betrothed, he has resisted any attempts to form a relationship with a Lady, his only vows will be that of the Queensguard, he tells me." He handed Daenerys the letter. "I don't expect anything, but he was insistent that he at least ask you."
Daenerys broke the Lannister seal and read the contents, all written by Cerion though it was scripted with Loren's help. "He is passionate." The Targaryen noted, before folding the paper and placing it inside her bosom. "I will think on it, and he is welcome to stay in King's Landing in the meantime if he so wishes."
Loren didn't want that, but he would never dictate his son's life in that manner. "Thank you, Your Grace." He bowed.
A knock on the door soon sounded, and the announcer called out. "Ser Cerion Lannister."
"Speaking of." Loren grinned, turning to face the large doors opening again and he saw his youngest son walking in calmly, with Loren's old sword Lionheart at his hip. "Cerion."
"Apologies for intruding Father, Your Grace." The young man bowed. "But Mother sent me to fetch you for supper."
The Lord of Casterly Rock's stomach growled at the thought. "It seems my belly is roaring in agreement." Loren chuckled. "If you will excuse me, Your Grace."
"One moment." Daenerys insisted, pulling the letter out from her breast and opening it again. Loren grinned at his son's stunned gaze. "Ser Cerion, you have made a bold request of me."
"Forgive me, Your Grace." Cerion bowed his head again properly. "But the Queensguard is all I have ever dreamed about, and if I didn't ask while I was in King's Landing I would have never forgiven myself."
Daenerys nodded. "We miss all of the chances we did not take." She spoke wisely. "As it happens, one of the order is in bed with a serious illness that Grand Maester Pylos is unsure Ser Garth will recover from." She thought for a moment. "I would like you to stay past your Father's visit, to see if my Lord Commander thinks you have what it takes to join the order."
Cerion couldn't stop the smile on his face. "I would be honoured, Your Grace." He bowed again.
"Brienne!" Dany called. "Could you give young Ser Cerion here a tour of the White Sword Tower while I sup with Lord Loren and Lady Cerenna. Then afterwards perhaps the pair of you could spar. Grey Worm can look after me capably in the meantime."
Cerion looked like he was about to piss himself with excitement, and Loren was grateful that the famous Brienne of Tarth nodded her agreement. "If you'll follow me, Ser Cerion." Brienne gestured.
Cerion looked hopefully at Loren. "Go." He told his son. "Make sure you see the White Book and my Uncle's entry into it."
"I will, thank you Father. Thank you, Your Grace!" Cerion exclaimed, performing one final bow before rushing after Brienne of Tarth.
Loren just laughed. "Thank you, this will mean everything to him."
"He will still need to prove himself." Daenerys warned. "But if he is as good as I have heard and Brienne finds his personality to be good, then Ser Garth will have a quick replacement." She smiled, tucking the letter away again. "Now, we shall sup, we shall see your sons spar, and then I want to take you to see Tyrion."
That brought the mood down slightly, but it was what they were there for, and Loren was grateful that the Queen knew exactly what to say to him. He bowed once more and offered his arm for Daenerys to take for them to walk together to Maegor's Holdfast.
One of the first laws that Daenerys passed for the entire realm was that bodies were to be burnt instead of buried, and so within the Sept of the Father there was a separate chamber where the open coffin was dragged away by some kind of contraption to be burned. Most people left the Sept during this part of proceedings, but Loren stayed alone within the main chamber surrounded by all of the Gods. He turned to the Stranger's statue and closed his eyes, whispering a quick prayer for a kind afterlife for his Uncle. Once he was done, he opened his eyes again and sighed, turning around to leave.
In the doorway stood a large figure wrapped in a thick wolfskin cloak, he had a scar over one eye and a growing dirty blonde beard, and Loren only knew the man's name by the sword on his hip. "Arthur." He whispered.
"It's Artos." The man said, a thick northern accent on his lips. "Hello brother."
Loren couldn't move as he took in the sight of his brother. "You look good." Loren remarked with a smile. "I'm surprised you are here."
"Mother didn't want me to come." Artos stated bluntly. "She warned me off, told me all kinds of stories about the worst place in the world." He looked beyond Loren then, into the curtained section where Tyrion's body had been taken. "But Uncle Tyrion was always kind to me whenever he travelled to the North and Mother didn't hate him as much, so I wanted to travel to say my goodbyes."
Loren nodded, stepping closer until he was within touching distance. He held one hand out to grip Artos' shoulder but hesitated for a moment. When the Northerner didn't flinch away Loren carried on with the movement, embracing his brother for the first ever time. "I'm glad you're here."
"Marissa and I didn't want to make a fuss, so nobody but Uncle Jon really knows we're here." Artos shrugged. "It's how we like it though, Stark men don't do well in the Capital."
That was certainly true. "Will you walk with me?" Loren asked. Artos nodded, gesturing out the door as the two brothers began a walk through the city, joined eventually by a pair of Lannister guards keeping their distance.
It was an awkward silence at first, but one that Artos broke himself. "Thank you for not abandoning me and sending me letters."
Loren smiled. "I'm just glad they got through."
Artos chuckled. "Mother may hate the Lannisters and you may hate her, but she never spoke badly of you, only the others." He sighed. "I love her, but sometimes I think her view of my other side may be tainted, may be overexaggerated."
"It isn't." Loren said honestly. "It's taken me a long time to truly come to terms with everything that happened around Father's death, and his impact is still being seen now. Look at our cousin, Father is a big reason why he is the only Baratheon remaining. House Tully, House Drumm…" Loren stopped to pause. "I loved the man, despite his many, many flaws, but you have been better off growing up away from him." He turned and placed both hands on Artos' shoulders. "You will always have a home in the Rock, Artos, but your Mother certainly did the right thing in getting you away."
Artos nodded. "It's refreshing to hear you say that." He admitted. "All I've ever heard is how he was a monster, and I've always wondered if that would make me a monster too."
"Never." Loren shook his head.
Smiling, the pair continued their walk. "Would you tell me some things about him that only you would know?" Artos asked. "Not the stories I've heard a thousand times, the butchering, the murdering, the scheming. Something about him as a Father."
Loren thought for a moment as they got to the bottom of Visenya's Hill and turned up towards the Red Keep. Then something came to him and he smiled. "I must have only been about 7. My Mother had been gone for three years and all I wanted to do was to learn how to fight. I was angry then, and I wanted to sail to the Iron Islands and make all of them pay for killing her. I skipped out on a numbers lesson I think it was and snuck into the training yard with Lambert Turnberry." He grinned at the memory. "Father caught us and asked why we weren't with Creylen and I told him honestly. I was expecting him to scold me, to punish me for not going to my lessons but he didn't, he withdrew Red Rain and told me that the sword would one day be mine, and that while Mother was gone and couldn't come back, the sword would be a reminder of how much House Lannister cares to defend its own." Loren withdrew the blade out himself and balanced it on his hands. "Every time I use it, I think of them both. How Father avenged my Mother." He sheathed it again. "Anyway, after that he spent three hours with us training how to strike a dummy with a wooden blade properly, and got us out of trouble with Creylen." Loren smiled fondly. "He was never a loving Father, I'm not sure he truly knew how to love, but there were moments when he just did exactly the right thing to make everything better." Artos smiled sadly, and Loren knew that the Northerner felt a bit left out. "One day, come to Casterly Rock. I'll show you everything he showed me as a child. There's even a tree hidden in the Godswood where he carved into."
"I'd like that." Artos nodded, and Loren breathed a sigh of relief that maybe they could eventually have a proper relationship together.
They walked further on and began the climb of Aegon's High Hill when Loren changed the subject. "Now, tell me of Moat Cailin, how is my money being spent?"
Artos' face lit up. Loren had also sent a small sum of gold up every few months to the Dreadfort and Artos had wisely saved it up in order to start repairing Moat Cailin, which hadn't changed since the Long Night for over a decade until Artos had taken his plans to Lord Stark and gotten them approved. "We've strengthened the foundations of the hill and have put in strong gates either side of the Kingsroad that aren't passed easily." He explained. "The keep is just wooden for the moment, but eventually we may rebuild that in stone if the architects can make it work…"
Loren listened to Artos listing off everything involved in the rebuilding of the Northern chokepoint, and he just simply smiled, glad to have this chance to truly get to know his Northern brother before they had to depart the Capital.
A month after the funeral of Tyrion Lannister and the scattering of his ashes by Lord Davos Baratheon, Loren and most of his family were back in Casterly Rock, minus Cerion who had stayed to join the Queen's personal guard. Loren was glad that it had been a relatively peaceful trip with ghosts having been laid to rest and managing to see his eldest daughter and grandson twice in the process, but the Lord of Casterly Rock knew where his home would always be.
One of the first things Loren did after returning to the Rock and bathing was to make his way down into the Hall of Heroes. Before his Lordship every Lannister Lord had given themselves a golden statue which shared of deeds, some true others exaggerated. Now however, after he had been forced to exhume every body inside the massive crypts to burn them, he decided to make changes. Together with Creylen and the other historians inside the Rock he had been ruthless and decisive about who deserved to be honoured in the Hall of Heroes, and even his Father hadn't made the cut, only getting a marble sarcophagus with a carving of his person.
That was the place he found himself, staring down at the stone, sleeping face of the man that had sired him. His conversations during his trip to King's Landing with his brother had brought a lot of feelings up to the surface and so he felt like once he had arrived back at the Rock that he needed to come down to the crypt and face those feelings.
He had been down there in silence for a while when he first saw a glow of torchlight to his left, followed by footsteps. Turning, he saw the shoulder length blonde hair of his son and heir, Jaime. He said nothing until Jaime was stood at his side, looking at the sarcophagus as well.
"This is possibly my most unpopular ruling." Loren admitted. "Melting down the golden statues of past Lords, our ancestors."
"This is the Hall of Heroes." Jaime said calmly. "We aren't Starks to honour all our dead with statues, the word hero has to mean something. I agree with what you did."
Loren appreciated that, patting his son on the shoulder. "I am grateful, though it is still unpopular. Trusting yourself despite the opinions of others is what you will need to learn when you become Lord of Casterly Rock, son. The lion should not concern himself with the opinion of the sheep."
Jaime nodded. "That sounds like a quote."
"My Grandfather." Loren explained, as he turned around and stared up at the golden stern face of Lord Tywin Lannister. This had been one statue that Loren couldn't justify in melting down, for it was Tywin that had overseen House Lannister's great rise and despite his many crimes, Loren couldn't deny that House Lannister benefitted more from his rulership than perhaps the vast majority of Lannisters in the past. "He told me that once in my first campaign."
"The War of the 5 King's." Jaime nodded. "I remember reading about it in Uncle Tyrion's book years ago."
"Three Baratheon's, a Greyjoy and a Wildling King that is only included to make the name sound better." Loren scoffed.
Jaime shrugged. "It does sound better." He stared up at the golden face. "I was speaking with Maester Creylen while you were away. He thinks Grandfather should have his statue rebuilt."
"He was here during the Ironborn Rebellion, those that were think my Father a hero for what he did." Loren admitted. "But is slaughtering an entire island for revenge heroic? It didn't bring my Mother back, it only got us a sword." He then sighed. "You can do as you wish when you are Lord, Jaime, there are enough paintings of him to be able to recreate his likeness, but I saw the aftermath of my Father's actions and I had to drag us through devastating wars because of them, losing thousands of lives in the process. He will always be my Father and I will always be grateful for his lessons, but he was no hero."
Jaime nodded. "I understand." He looked down past Ser Daven Lannister, Ser Jaime Lannister and Ser Kevan Lannister's statues at the as of yet empty and uncarved marble sarcophaguses waiting to be filled. "You will have a statue one day."
"Don't try killing me off just yet, boy." Loren smirked. "I don't know if I deserve one."
"Every Lannister that fought at Moat Cailin should be honoured as such, you told me that yourself." Jaime told him. "And you will, I'll make it so."
Loren smiled, raising a hand to squeeze Jaime's shoulder. "You're a good man." He said calmly. "House Lannister has benefitted from all of these people." He gestured around. "Lord Tywin, Lord Tyland, Ser Kevan, Ser Jaime the man you were named after, Your Uncle, Ser Daven… they gave us a lot that we shall always remember, but they also taught us lessons on what ambition does. We are better for having had them to learn from, and we will be better in the future because of it."
"The future is golden." Jaime smirked.
Loren scoffed at the pun but smiled at the message. "Quite." He nodded. His life had taken many twists and turns as he looked back on it with many losses that still stung to that day, but as Loren Lannister, the Warden of the West and the Lord of Casterly Rock looked back on all that had happened and where he found himself now, he truly was content. House Lannister had lived and almost died through a merciless period of trying to cling to the top, but even though their influence was no longer shaping the Seven Kingdom's from the Iron Throne, they were still and always would be strong.
Wow… there we are then, No Mercy is officially completed!
This has been my most challenging project yet. From the issues of having other focuses while still trying to write this one, to a lack of motivation and sometimes even a lack of enjoyment in the story, it's been a very long 52 months! For context for the newer readers, I posted the first chapter of this alongside United in Fury, a story which has been finished for over 2 and a half years…
The feedback has been… mixed. People either loved Tyland or hated him, and I totally get that. But that also meant different reactions to his death or the instances leading up to his death. The same with regards to Loren at the start and possibly even now despite his development. While I always had an idea of where I was coming too, and when I came to focus on this story around 20 chapters in I had a clear plan of what was going to happen in every chapter, the reviews slating me or the decisions I was making did make me care a lot less about this story around the middle part, but I'm very glad I persevered and despite it ending up as another Targaryen Restoration, I genuinely feel happy with what I did and how I got here.
That being said, this is a firm line drawn under my Lannister universe. I have no wish to come back to it despite there probably being a lot of stories I could tell from this chapter alone. I'm looking forward to other projects now, whether that being my Arryn sequel, The Golden Dragon, or something else that catches my eye.
Thank you to everybody that has followed, favourited, and/or reviewed this story over the years. I'm not sure how many of you are still here reading that reviewed the first chapter (Hail King Cerion is the only one that I can remember being there from the very start while still being here reviewing now) but no matter the interaction, no matter when it came, I really do appreciate it.
Reviewers of this chapter, if you have a question or would like a response then be sure to create an account so I can PM that response or answer to you.
I'm not sure when I'll upload next, whether I take a bit of a break or whether because of buffer chapters in my next story focus I'll be back next week, but until then from me, Loren and the rest of the Lannisters, thank you!